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LP
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SW 014X-LP
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Spiritual World presents Ashleigh Ball's Center of the Universe, a transcendental flute journey from the singer and flutist of T3al. Center of the Universe is a 32-minute improvisational odyssey recorded inside the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO), a National Historic Site on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia Canada. Inspired by the pioneering work of Paul Horn and his Inside series, the recording channels a similar spirit of reverent exploration within a space rich in history and resonance. Completed in 1918, the observatory is home to the Plaskett Telescope -- once among the largest and most powerful in the world -- playing a key role in mapping the Milky Way. Following months of coordination, three hours of private access were granted on the morning of August 25, 2025. Beneath the observatory's towering telescope, Ball performed a wordless meditation, moving between alto flute and soprano concert flute, allowing each note to merge with the chamber's vast natural reverb. Tones bloom, linger, and return, carried along the massive curved steel walls. Captured using a minimalist recording approach, Center of the Universe preserves the purity of the moment -- its warmth, stillness, and the architecture's subtle mechanical resonance. Here, the observatory itself becomes an instrument, shaping the sound into something elemental, timeless, and deeply human. RIYL: Paul Horn, Pauline Oliveros, James Newton, Kali Malone.
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